Travel and Adventure: Losing sight in Cancun with a Sense Adventure Tour

Friday

Feb 28, 2014 at 9:45 PMFeb 28, 2014 at 9:46 PM

By Fyllis HockmanCreators SyndicateWhen I was first blindfolded, I felt disoriented and out of control. But our Mayan guide propelled me back into the moment by explaining that when our sight ó our main sense in relating to the world around us ó is cut off, the other senses are expanded. Thus began our Sense Adventure Tour, part of a larger eco-oriented nature park and sustainable tourism program at the Hacienda Tres Rios Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico.As part of this tour I initially sensed the jungle rather than saw it.Nothing can hurt you, all of us in my group were reassured. Just trust in yourself and follow your senses. Do not talk, please ó communicate only with yourself. And become one with the universe. First came the sounds. Were they cymbals? Triangles? Were they supposed to mean something? But I didnít have time to ponder before the next sensory assault ó this time different textures caressing my feet as we proceeded blindfolded and barefoot, one hand on the shoulder of the person in front of us. From gravel to burlap, wooden slats to smooth slate to soft rug, we moved about our mini-jungle over an hourís time. Then a baby laughed ó or was it crying ó followed by a clap of thunder. Then the sounds stopped being a focus and just began to wash over me, as did the bucket of pebbles dumped on my head. I felt like I was being buried. Was that it? Were the babyís cries rebirth? I had no idea. The only time the blindfold was removed was within a tent with constellations of stars twinkling overhead ó the universe weíre supposed to feel a part of. Blindfold back in place, the avalanche of sensory overload continued ó smells, textures, tastes, sounds. All of the senses were challenged, often in conjunction with one another, sometimes competing, sometimes complementary. Should I pay attention to the Native American chants or focus on the pebbles poured over my body or the cinnamon under my nose or just give in to the swaying of my body being encouraged by the guides?The guides periodically placed our hands on our hearts, reminding us to breathe (a recurring theme) and listen to our heartbeats since this is what keeps us alive. Feel the universe living and moving inside you. More sounds, this time a beating drum of ever-increasing tempo. Our guides moved various body parts where they wanted them, hands in front one moment to smell a splash of oil then waving about another time to the rhythm of the beat. Now chanting once again ó feel small seeds flowing through my fingers, taste a sliver of chocolate melt upon my tongue, gravel this time beneath my feet. Iím somewhat annoyed with myself for thinking Iím pretty sure Iím going to find a bunch of pebbles in my underwear later that night. I refocus and hear the semblance of a heartbeat in the background. Iím not sure whether itís mine or theirs.Then I felt the coldness of a small candle holder in one hand and heat generated by it as my other hand passed over it. The transient thought of how do they do that passed through only to be overshadowed by the incongruous reality itself. And shortly thereafter, I was once again moving to the sounds ó I lost track of what they were ó but I knew I was simulating the flying motions of a bird. Even though I had no idea what ritual I was taking part in, I felt a sense of belonging, that I was somehow connected to something that was important in some past culture.I didnít know how it was done, but that was not important. I breathed in, I exhaled, I moved my arms and swayed my body. I was alone yet part of a larger whole, and it all felt right. Again my hands were placed on my heart. When they were not floating in air or touching my heart, they were on the shoulder of the person in front of me, traversing about our own private world, wondering what tactile surprise lay ahead.Sounds again ó fire, thunder, rain, birds, planes and wind ó and of course the repetitive chanting, but with maracas in hand now, I could share in the experience directly. And yes, this was my dance ó with that of the others ó whoever the others might be. Everyone moved to their own rhythms, somehow in concert with each other, which I could feel even through the blindfold.I was given a smooth stone with which I was told to caress my face, and that was supplemented by a more rigid, scraggly conch shell which I could easily identify. I couldnít resist holding it to my ear to try to hear the ocean, but then I realized the sound of crashing waves was coming from behind me. Now I felt the rainwater I had only heard before, icy cold and down my back. It was the only time I heard collective sounds of first shock and then guffaws from my compatriots. Thunder abounded, and then the raindrops flowed, followed by a windstorm. I knew it was all being manufactured, but I didnít care because it felt real. Now I was asked to clang the smooth stone and the rugged conch shell together to make some native music; then again our hands were returned to our hearts. I started to welcome the gesture as a way of coming home and feeling grounded.I followed all the instructions as the guides moved my body, arms and hands in different directions. I knew I had the choice to resist and ask why or acquiesce and say why not? I felt both on a personal journey and part of a larger connection, as though I were attuned to some greater Mayan or Native American or whatever other culture I sensed was behind it. I felt connected with the elements, with nature. ďAnd so nature comes to say to us the earth is my body, the water is my blood, the air is my breath, the fire is my spirit,Ē said our guide as we neared the end. ďIn front of you is a mirror. See your reflection and know that somewhere inside you, if you have a question, you will find an answer. All the universe is inside you.ĒAs I removed my blindfold and gazed upon my reflection in the cenote pool in front of me, I was not sure I felt one with the universe, but I certainly felt I had experienced a very unique part of it in a magical hourís time.WHEN YOU GOFor more information, visit www.haciendatresrios.com/riviera-maya/nature-park/nature-park-activities, where you will find not only the Sense Adventure but a number of other unusual activities such as snorkeling and kayaking in a cenote, an Xtreme Adventure tour, Segway rides and Hobie Cat outings, along with an introductory tour of the many trend-setting sustainable tourism aspects of the hotel. Hacienda Tres Rios was constructed on areas of low environmental value with the least adverse impact. They employ water-saving techniques that donít sacrifice pressure, rooms that are intelligently designed to be both high-tech and high-comfort but low-impact, with 120 varieties of native plants in the park that do not require much in the way of water, fertilizer or pesticides. It has recently been named to TripAdvisorís 2014 list of the Top 25 Resorts for Families.